Judge denies release of Jeffrey Epstein transcripts in Florida
A Florida federal judge on Wednesday denied a request to unseal grand jury transcripts of a federal investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
President Trump had called for the release of grand jury testimony related to Epstein, who was accused of sexually trafficking children, in response to pressure from lawmakers and some supporters to show more transparency on the case.
U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg of Florida said in her ruling that Eleventh Circuit law does not permit her to grant the government’s request and that her “hands are tied.”
Rosenberg also said the government’s request to unseal the grand jury transcripts does not fall under the limited exceptions allowed under the law.
Two judges in New York also are considering parallel requests from the Justice Department to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. They have given the department until next week to address more fully why the transcripts should be made public, and an additional week to hear from Epstein representatives and his victims.
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal child sex trafficking charges, but his close associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for charges of facilitating Epstein’s abuse of underage girls.
The Department of Justice asked judges in several states last week to release the grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. The DOJ filed motions in the Southern District of New York as well as in the Southern District of Florida.
In Florida, the department was seeking transcripts from grand jury investigations into Epstein in 2005 and 2007.
Israel takes steps to shut down international aid groups in Gaza and the West Bank
Israel is de-registering major nongovernmental aid groups from helping people in the Palestinian territories, according to several officials with humanitarian organizations.
New books this week dance between genres — and deserve your attention
New releases this week include a feminist history of modern Russia, and a candid portrait of Gish Jen's relationship with her mother. Plus, new novels from Philip Pullman and Claire Louise-Bennett.
5 things to know about Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister
Japan ranks low in gender equality among developed nations. The first woman to lead the country is an ultraconservative who cites Margaret Thatcher as a role model. She also loves heavy metal.
Books about race and gender to be returned to school libraries on some military bases
The order is to be implemented at school libraries on military bases in Kentucky, Virginia, Italy and Japan. Students and their families claimed their First Amendment rights had been violated when officials removed the books to comply with President Trump's executive orders.
Just because she won a Nobel doesn’t mean Malala didn’t break some rules in college
In 2014, Malala Yousafzai became the youngest person to win a Nobel Prize, an honor that weighed on her when she went off to college. In Finding My Way, she writes about her life at Oxford and beyond.
With steep tariffs on Indian imports, Diwali is expensive to celebrate this year in Alabama
"I guess if I had to take it in a positive way, I would say it's making the artists come out of all of the parents," said one Bollywood dance instructor who is forgoing new costumes this year for her students.